What is the best monitor to play classic systems (LCD, CRT ..) ?

[eskobar]

Over my 28 years of life as a gamer i have seen quite a few advances in technology and i think that one of the most important is the new display devices technologies.

Plasma, Projection LCD, LCD and LED displays are such a big deal for modern videogame systems and a MUST buy for PS3 or Xbox 360 ... but, what about the classics ???

I have played a few games on LCD and i just couldn't feel the same richness of vintage graphics like i do on a normal CRT monitor. The saturation and overall quality of those games is not easily appreciated when compared to Metal Gear Solid, Bioshock and many more upcoming games.

I feel very confortable playing on a SONY WEGA 21" CRT TV and i have played on the GX TV that samsung manufactured.

What do you think is the best way to play classic systems ?

[Scawt]

Stick with a tube TV most definitely. If you can't, go for a CRT over LCD. Neither, however, will work with light-gun games.

[Leo_A]

Stick with a tube TV most definitely. If you can't, go for a CRT over LCD. Neither, however, will work with light-gun games.

A tube tv is a CRT...

[k8track]

What do you think is the best way to play classic systems ?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y218/k8track/1974-Zenith-TV.jpg

[Matt-El]

A tube tv is a CRT...

Yes, but newer CRTs are flat glass. Light guns wont work on anything but the original rounded glass CRTs.


On the subject of best TV, Personally I use a 30 in. Samsung CRT HDTV. Works great on everything, from NES to 360. Sure I can't play duck hunt, but hey, it works great for normal game playing. Pilotwings for SNES looks awesome. There's only 2 downsides about it. It only goes up to 1080i and it's heavy if i need to move it. Otherwise IMO it's the best TV to get for retro and modern gaming.

[slip81]

Yes, but newer CRTs are flat glass. Light guns wont work on anything but the original rounded glass CRTs.

Light guns work fine on my Sony 34" CRT HD set. Is it one of those Samsung Slim Fit models? They had a lot of problems with the tubes in those original sets (had one before I got the Sony), could be your tv, because I don't see how flat vs. convex would effect a light gun, as it is still operating the same way, should work fine so long as there is glass to bounce the signal off of.

[theChad]

I've got a 32" JVC that is a flat screen CRT, and light games do not work on it at all. It may be worth noting that it's an SDTV, if that means anything.


should work fine so long as there is glass to bounce the signal off of.

Uh...what?

[Leo_A]

Light guns work fine on my 20" flat screen CRT.

[Joe West]

best monitor for older video games is a Amiga........

[zektor]

For a MONITOR, yes, the 1084S (stereo) Amiga monitor was my old choice back in the day.

For TV's, most CRT's will do. I have a flat screen (not flat panel mind you) Wega that works perfectly with light guns btw. I also have a JVC 32" and a Sanyo 40" that are both rounded glass type sets, and they are both fantastic for older games. Currently have the 2600, 7800, and Colecovision (on top of Dreamcast, Saturn and Jaguar) hooked up to the Sanyo. I bought the TV at Walmart about 2 years ago for like $250. These TV's are stills old and are quite cheap since everyone wants "high def" nowadays. Not me...never had a problem with these personally :)

[kedawa]

I used to have a 36" RCA that accepts both VGA and SVGA signals. Everything looked amazing on it. Oddly, it doesn't do progressive scan through component for some reason.
Unfortunately, it's huge and weighs more than all of my other possessions combined, so I ended up giving it to my brother when I moved.

[zektor]

Not too get too off topic, but I do have to add that some of these CRT TV's have horrible RF amplifiers. Now, if all of your game systems are hooked up via RCA jacks (yellow/red/white av) this will not bother you. But I have a bunch of classic systems (Colecovision, Intellivision, VCS, 7800..etc) that are only RF. AND, I have decided that I do not want them modified. But I wanted the best RF picture possible.

One TV I have (the JVC) has a horrible RF amplifier. Sometimes it would not even detect a signal upon turning on one of the classic systems. I swapped it around with the Sanyo I have, and it works great. To top it off, I needed a switchbox that was rf (coaxial). This was a bitch to find believe it or not. Finally found a Radio Shack amplified video selector and it is the best thing for multiple classics in my book. It amplifies the RF (via it's own power) and really displays a crystal clear picture. If you saw my Colecovision for example in action, you would swear it has been a/v modded...but no...standard RF :)

[slip81]

Uh...what?

yeah, light guns work by sending a signal out to the tv (via the trigger) telling it to either flash the screen (older nes style guns) or draw a line on the screen (newer guns) and then send the signal back to the sensor in the gun barrel. Maybe my terminology was too crude for you, but essentially a signal is bounced back and fourth between two sources. It's also my understanding that this only works with glass tubes for some reason (not sure exactly why) hence my expression of "bouncing the signal off the glass set."

[swlovinist]

I use CRTs as best as possible that match up with the game systems that they are hooked up to. I have four CRTs in my game room ranging from a CRT from the lmid/ate 80s to a Panasonic 32 in with component. For the old school systems, I just an old Zenith with amp boost for anti fuzzy clear pictures. It works for me, and also looks like an actual TV used back in the day

[acem77]

Crt is the best if you want to keep your systems stock/unmoded
In the end getting each system moded with RGB and upscanning it looks great to me
when hooked up to a digital display(lcd,dlp,plasma).
The built in analog converts in all digital sets i have used are terrible.
upscanning it with something like a xrgb looks great.

In THe USA the over cheapest best look to me is an old school system with RGB converted to component hooked up to a CRT. An Rgb nes look like a gift from the gods on my Sony WEGA.
I say component because its very easy to find in the states.
Id bet money nobody could tell the diff between RGB and component.

[Leo_A]

Tvs don't play an active role, they just display the video. The part important is the gun inside the tv, which the sensor of the controller pays attention to. The curvature of the glass isn't important.

[theChad]

yeah, light guns work by sending a signal out to the tv (via the trigger) telling it to either flash the screen (older nes style guns) or draw a line on the screen (newer guns) and then send the signal back to the sensor in the gun barrel. Maybe my terminology was too crude for you, but essentially a signal is bounced back and fourth between two sources. It's also my understanding that this only works with glass tubes for some reason (not sure exactly why) hence my expression of "bouncing the signal off the glass set."

I was pretty sure nothing ever came out of the gun, so to speak. The TV just draws what the gun is intended to detect when the trigger is pulled and the image is either in the gun's "sight" or not, determining your hit. I was never aware of any bouncing signals. Maybe I just live in fantasy land, though.*_*

[wingzrow]

Composite and below use standard tvs ( also for light gun games )

Anything s-video or above go for an hdtv.

[jb143]

I was pretty sure nothing ever came out of the gun, so to speak. The TV just draws what the gun is intended to detect when the trigger is pulled and the image is either in the gun's "sight" or not, determining your hit. I was never aware of any bouncing signals. Maybe I just live in fantasy land, though.*_*

You are correct. I know this has been discussed countless times on here before but the way it works is this. There is a photo diode or other light sensor in the gun and a lens to focus the light from screen onto. On the NES Zapper pulling the trigger tells the NES to turn the screen black. That causes a drop of voltage across the photodiode. Then the NES draws the target white. This causes a jump in votage across the photo diode. If this votage change is correct, then the NES knows you hit the target. It has nothing to do with the reflectivity of the screen, nothing comes out of the gun. It's a timming issue because the newfangled TV's have a different refresh rate.

Other lightguns like the super scope actually detect the electron beam as it's being scanned. So when you pull the trigger the SNES knows exactly where on the screen your pointing. These don't work on newer TV's for obvious reasons...there is no electron beam. The wireless unit that plugs in has nothing to do with it. It just makes it cordless.

[acem77]

Composite and below use standard tvs ( also for light gun games )

Anything s-video or above go for an hdtv.

Any thing interlaced 480i stick with a CRT.
there are many Interlaced CRTs that use component.
You do not need a HD tv for component and its the best video on a standard CRT tv in the usa.

Anything that is interlaced does not look too great on a HD TV(even interlaced component).
svideo is intelaced . any sytems that supports 480P or higher will look better on a HD TV. You will need component cables or better for that.


if the systems already have svideo you should be ok anything less you should use rgb and convert it to component. all modern systems support interlaced video through component cables so they will look ok on a SD CRT TV.

[rpepper9]

Anything R G B....




Sorry just read the Anthony1 thread

[acem77]

Anything R G B....




Sorry just read the Anthony1 thread

True i have done some of his dirty work like rgb modding his 3do.

[Sonicwolf]

best monitor for older video games is a Amiga........

I agree. I keep 2 Amiga monitors and 1 Commodore 64 monitor around at all times. The absolutely most amazing picture on a CRT that I have ever seen on all three. Commodore sure put some money into making quality electronics back then before they ran themselves into the ground.

[Greg2600]

The answer depends on the connection. If you're using RF and don't need to use a light gun, I'd say a not too big LCD. The LCD tends to clean up the RF signal a little better. For Composite or S-Video, I'd say a normal CRT TV is the way to go. I don't get the appeal of playing on a computer monitor, which are rarely larger than 20 inches?

[Strangedogs]

I agree CRT is best but we have a 50" DLP in our bedroom and My Atari Stuff and my Dreamcast are hooked to it (also use a 10" LCD TV next to my bed for late night quiet headphones Dreamcast shootin' when the wife is asleep) and I really like my stuff on the 50" DLP. I can also FORCE WIDESCREEN most of my older games and they look fine... PacMan on a 50" HD TV is the only way to fly :)

[tom]

My Sanyo CD3195C is going strong since 1985, I use it for A8, C64, VCS:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/VCS/VCSXman.jpg

or back in the old days I had a monitor for each system:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/VCS/oldgaming.jpg